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TWO SHORT STORIES
been to Mr. Thornton’s and he is out” – I asked him into my
room and he said, “You know, Sergeant Tanner, that since
I saw you and Inspector Thornton, I have had my suspicions
about the man who committed the murder, and I have been
watching him” – I said, “Before you go any farther, Mullins,
who is it 1s.; he replied, “Emms” – I believe his name is Emm,
but he said “Emms” – he said, “This morning I went to Emsley’s brick-fi eld at 5 o’clock, and I remained there watching
Emms, pretending to be picking herbs, and between 8 and 9
o’clock I saw Emms come out of his house and go to a ruined
cottage about fi fty yards in front of his house; he brought out
from then a large parcel, took it indoors, remained about ten
minutes, came out again, appeared to be looking about him,
and he had a small parcel in his hand about the size of a pint
pot; he went to a shed or a lean-to adjoining big own house,
went inside, remained about two minutes, came out again
with, out the parcel and went indoors” – I said, “What do you
think the parcel contained?” – he said, “I can’t tell” – I then
left my own home with him and went to Mr. Thornton’s residence which is close by – he said nothing else before we went
to Mr. Thornton’s – he said nothing about where the parcel
was put, further than what I have stated – he did not then give
any information about where the parcel was put – we went to
Thornton’s – he was not at home – I walked with him then as
far as Palace-yard – I asked him if he would have some refreshment and he did; we had a glass of ale – when we came
out, on parting he said, “Now don’t go without me” – he desired to go that night – I said, “No, I can’t go to-night” – I had
a motive, Mr. Thornton was not there and he had charge of the
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case – I think I said, “Mr. Thornton is not at home; I can’t go
without him” – he then said, “Now don’t go without me” –
I said, “No, you know I have taken down the substance of your
statement, in writing in a book, and no advantage shall be
taken of your information; I hope you think we are beyond
that” – he said, “Very well” – I said, “I will go with you tomorrow morning; I will send a sergeant for you, where shall I send
for you?” – he said, “To 17, Oakum-street, Chelsea” – a reward had been offered at that time – I have got a bill (produc-
ing one) similar to those which were posted and placarded
about – it was posted all over London; fi rst a reward of
100l. and then of 300l. – Mullins was aware of the reward
having been offered – he said on parting, “Don’t go without
me; if it comes off all right I will take care of you” – that is the
substance of what passed between us that night – I went the
next morning to Emsley’s brick-fi eld with Inspector Thornton,
Sergeant Thomas, and the prisoner – we went in a cab – nothing passed with me, I was outside; Thornton and Thomas were
inside with him – this plan (produced) appears very correct –
there is a shed by the side of Emm’s cottage in which ultimately the parcel was found – there is a ruined house shown here;
that is about fi fty yards from Emm’s cottage – it was about
midday on Sunday morning when we arrived there – the ruin
is a perfect wreck; it is a very old dilapidated cottage, in fact,
there is a hole in the wall where any person ean go in – there
is a door to the shed by Emm’s cottage, but the lower half of it
is gone, there is only the top portion complete – it was open –
it appears that anybody, at any time, could have got into that
shed – at the time we arrived on that morning the shed was
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TWO SHORT STORIES
open, and there was a slab of stone just against the side of it –
that is shown on the plan – this fi eld, which is called Emsley’s
brick-fi eld, is an open fi eld; persons have no right there, but
they can get in very easily – the palings appear to be knocked
down – there is room enough for any person to go in – there
is a gate also which I found open, but independent of that,
there are gaps in the palings which appear to have been
knocked down, and any person can get in – we arrived in Bonner’s-lane, myself, Thornton, and Thomas were walking down
Bonner’s-lane, and through a gap in the place we saw Emm
and a man standing in conversation – they were at the other
end of the fi eld from Emm’s house, at the extreme end, I should
say quite 200 yards – we told Mullins to remain as it were
about here (pointing to the plan), out of the fi eld entirely so as
not to be seen – we all three went to Emm; he was called aside,
and Mr. Thornton made some communication to him in my
presence – he was told the accusation in substance, that Mullins had made – we did not tell him that Mullins had made
it – I then went, by the direction’ of Inspector Thornton, to
Emm’s house and searched it – I spoke to Mrs. Emm – Emm
was not there then, he was left with Mr. Thornton – we looked
in the shed and at that time found nothing – we then went
back to Mr. Thornton to report the result of our mission, and
at that period Mullins appeared in the fi eld, within fi fty yards
of us – I found Thornton and Emm had advanced to the ruined cottage; they were standing in front of it – at the time
I saw Mullins in the fi eld I went to him, and on my approach
he said, “You have not half searched the place, she (meaning,
I suppose, Mm. Emm) had her back to you all the while; come,
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I will show you where I think it is put” – I said, “No, not now;
we don’t want Emm to know you are the informant,” and in
the conversation we walked round between a stack of bricks
and another old shed which is in the fi eld – we halted four or
fi ve yards in front of the identical shed which he alluded to as
where he saw Emm put the parcel, and he said, “There, look
now, go and pull down that b – slab and turn up those
bricks” – I looked at him and retired with him from the spot –
I did not go towards the shed – I came back some twenty
yards – I spoke to Sergeant Thomas and desired him to go and
pull down the stone, at the same time telling Mullins to go to
the Rising Sail and wait for me – Thomas went to the stone
and returned to where Thornton, Emm, and I were – Thornton and Emm were still in front of the ruin – I saw Thomas
pull the stone on one side, and saw him bring out the parcel –
the slab is shown on the plan, we had simply to pull the stone
forward and take it out; anyone could have placed it there
without going into the shed – the parcel was opened in the
presence of Emm – I cannot speak to its condition so well as
Thomas; he handled it and undid it – I did not handle it in its
original state – I saw it opened and saw what it contained –
this is the outer paper; it was tied round the same as it is now,
with this piece of tape – it is a piece of tape which might form
an apron string or anything of that sort; besides that there was
an inner parcel – this is it, it was tied as it is now, with a piece
of shoemaker’s waxed string – it contained some pieces of
newspaper, some blotting paper, one metal table spoon, and
three metal tea spoons, and these two lenses or magnifying
glasses; two of the spoons are lettered “W. P.” – besides these
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there was a cheque for 10l. on the Bank of London – this is
it – that cheque is described in the handbill as a cheque drawn
by Pickering and Carrier on the Bank of London, dated August
14th, 1860 – those were all the contents of the parcel – I was
then directed to fetch Mullins back from the public-house,
which I did, leaving Thornton, Thomas, and Emm still in front
of the ruined shed – Mullins came back and stood in front of
an old waggon that was there – he said, “Have you found anything?” – he appeared delighted, rubbed his hands, and
laughed, and said, “Have you found any b – money?” – I said;
“Thomas has found something, I cannot tell you what; Emm is
very ill” – he appeared to laugh, rubbed his hands and said,
“Oh, of course he would be” – I was then told to take him to
the station in Arbour-square, which I did – Emm was also taken – he was there charged and Mullins also – he was charged
by Inspector Thornton, in my presence, the charge was taken
down in writing – the charge sheet is not here – it would be
at Scotland-yard now – upon being charged, Mullins said, “Is
this the way I am to be served, after giving information?” –
I searched him – I found that his shoe was tied with a piece of
waxed string – I have it here; it is waxed with cobbler’s wax –
the string round the parcel is waxed with cobbler’s wax – I also
found on him a pocket-book and some spectacles, but nothing
material to this case; the spectacles were in his pocket – I afterwards went to 33, Barnsley-street, where he occupied
a room – I there found a piece of tape, which 1 produce.
COURT. Q. Has that piece of tape been examined so as to
ascertain the number of threads it contains? A. It was examined
by several gentlemen on the coroner’s jury who were drapers;
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I have not counted the number of threads in it – Inspector
Thornton was originally a draper – the piece of tape at the
extreme end of the parcel, I thought corresponded with this
piece – they appear to me to be the same tape – I think the
short piece at the end of the parcel, and this piece, correspond;
they appear to be exactly the same kind of tape.
MR. SERJEANT PARRY. Q. I believe you also produce
a piece of wax that you found on the chimney piece in the prisoner’s room? A.Thomas found that in my presence – I saw him
take it from the chimney-piece – I was also with Mr. Thornton
when he found the hammer.
Cross-examined, Q. If understand you rightly, you had
been in communication with the prisoner as early as 28th August? A. I think about that time – a reward had been offered
then; 300l. – the whole of the reward had been offered then –
it was offered on the 24th.
COURT. Q. The 300l. had been offered before you had any
communication with the prisoner? A. Yes.
MR. BEST. Q. You have told us that you left him outside
the fi eld while you went to search the shed. A. Yes; I supposed
him during that time to be where I had directed him to wait,
outside the fi eld – when I afterward? saw him coming towards
the shed, he was about fi fty or sixty yards from it; he could not
from where he was, have seen what we had done inside the
shed – he could see us enter the shed – we remained there
two minutes probably, then he came up to us – he did not fi rst
call our attention to the bricks which were lying about – he
did not mention anything about searching some bricks previous to telling us about the slab – I am sure he did not, or about
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searching some wood – he afterwards said “Turn up those
bricks” – that was before we had found the parcel – Emm is by
trade a shoemaker – I found his tools in his house; his daughter was at work – I examined his tools; I believe a shoemaker’s
hammer was amongst them; I am not quite sure – I believe
shoemakers use a hammer in their trade – Sergeant Thomas
searched that portion of the house.
WILLIAM THOMAS. I am a sergeant of the detective police – On Sunday morning, 9th September, in consequence of
instructions from Inspector Thornton, I went to 17, Oakumstreet, Chelsea, between 10 and 11 in the day; I found the prisoner there – he came out of the house; I was just behind him –
I took a turn and met him, and beckoned to him when he saw
me, and he followed me into the Brompton-road – he spoke
fi rst to me, he said “Thomas, I took you to be Tanner” – he
said “You know that I am very elever in these matters, I have
been working hard, day and night to discover the murderer of
Mrs. Emsley, and I have found him out” – I said, “Who do you
suspect?” – he said, “The man Emm, who gave evidence on the
coroner’s inquest; he was suspected; no one had better opportunity, as he was in the habit of taking small sums of money,
and would be admitted by Mrs. Emsley at any time” – I said,
“Mullins, would she admit you V – he said, “Oh, no, she would
answer me from the window, and up the area” – he said nothing more at that time – I had seen him before and spoken to
him before – I had not know him for any number of years –
I went with him to Scotland-yard, and then went with him,
Inspector Thornton, and Tanner, to Bethnal-green – as we
were going along in the cab, the prisoner and Thornton were
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in conversation, and after they had stopped, I said, “Mullins,
what sort of a parcel did you see Emm place in the shed?” – he
jumped up, put his hand into his coat pocket, and withdrew
a handkerchief, and rolled it up to about the same size as the
parcel, and said, “That is about the size.”
COURT. Q. And was that the size? A. Yes; I afterwards
found that to be the size.
MR. CLERK. Q. Was he telling Thornton in the cab what
he had seen Emm do? A. Thornton and the prisoner were in
conversation, but I did not bear all they said – When we got
to the brick-fi eld we went into the brickfi eld – I went to the
shed that had been spoken of, adjoining the house – I looked
into the shed, but did not disturb anything; I merely looked
into it – after that I went into the house and searched there;
I saw some papers relating to some property between the deceased and Emm – I then returned to Inspector Thornton,
and at that time Mullins made his appearance in the fi eld –
I had taken him up Bonner’s-lane, out of sight of Emm’s
place altogether, and said, “Mullins, remain here till we send
for you” – that was about 150 yards from the place where
I next saw him – he had some conversation with Tanner in
the fi eld – I did not hear what passed – Tanner then spoke
to me, and from what he said I went again to the shed, and
removed a fl agstone that was just inside the door, and there
I found a parcel, tied round with tape – it was behind the
stone, between the stone and the wall – at the bottom there
were some bricks and rubbish – the stone was buried about
three or four inches outside and inside – the parcel was on
the top of the bricks, between the wall and the stone – the
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bricks were not visible from outside, in the fi eld, until I had
removed the stone, not what was behind the stone, not in the
middle, where the parcel was – the stone was two inches from
the wall at the bottom part – it was standing nearly against
the wall, it leant towards the wall – the brick rubbish was between the bottom of the stone and the wall – the brick rubbish was not visible when I was outside in the fi eld – when
I took the parcel I brought it to where Thornton was standing
in the fi eld – I spoked to Emm fi rst, before I untied the parcel – Mullins was not near enough to hear what was said –
I opened the parcel in Tanner’s presence – it contained some
spoons, a cheque for 10l. and two lenses – I afterwards went
to 33, Barnsley-street, I went to the back room on the ground
fl oor in that house – I had been in that room before – the
prisoner lived there; I had seen him there – I there found
a small bit of shoemaker’s wax and a small bit of twine, together on the mantelpiece – I produce them – the street
door of the house opens by a small bit of twine; anybody can
open it from the outside – the door of the prisoner’s room
was locked – I had not the key with me; I broke it open –
I afterwards went to the house, 17, Oakum-street, from which
I had seen the prisoner come – a person named Kelly is the
landlady of that house – I went into a back room there where
I found the prisoner’s wife, and in that room I found a spoon,
which I produce, it has on the back of it the letters W. P.
Cross-examined. Q. That is the ordinary trade mark, is it
not? A. I believe so – I believe it is the maker’s mark – the
spoons are ordinary sort of German metal spoons, generally
in use – there is a slight difference between the appearance of
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the spoon found at the prisoner’s house, and the spoons found
in the parcel – I should say the one found in the house was
worn more than those found in the parcel – two of those in
the parcel are alike, and one of those in the parcel and the one
found in the house are just the same pattern – when I come
to look at the bowls they are a different shape (examining
them) – three are alike; the one found in the house is similar
to this – they are German silver – I fi rst went to the house in
Barnsley-street, on Tuesday, 28th August – it is a very small
backroom where the prisoner lived, not very clean – I saw no
one there besides himself – there was a person living up stairs,
an invalid, whose name I do not know – there was no one
down stairs – I do not know how many rooms there are upstairs, there are three down – the prisoner occupied one, no
one occupied the others – that was the only room occupied
down stairs.
DR. GILL (re-examined). I have examined the ends of
the two pieces of tape produced – I have carefully counted
the number of strands in them – Tanner was present – he
counted them before me, not letting me know the number he
counted; there are thirty-three strands in each.
COURT. Q. So that those two pieces are pieces of the same
sort of tape? A. They are in my opinion – that is all I can say.
MR. BEST. Q. You are not engaged in the manufacture of
tape, I suppose? A. No; I have been in the habit of examining
all fabrics, I examine all things that I feel an interest in, under
the microscope – I am in the habit of examining cotton, silk,
or anything, for my own private investigation.
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